This brew pours a hazy golden color with a a huge rocky head. Lacing slowly slides down the sides of the glass but doesn't stick. Sharp looking beer.
The aroma smells like fresh hay along with lots of pale and sweet malt. Mild floral hop aromas dance around the edge of the nose. Small amounts of citrus.
The fresh hay aroma carries over to the taste as the first flavor to become noticed. This is accompanied by a bready taste. A slight hop flavor creeps up on the finish with slight citrus notes. A solid malt flavor runs through the whole beer.
The mouthfeel is medium-full and goes down smooth. A very drinkable beer. To bad is not available here.

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a Hennepin glass. Has a pale golden color, lighter than most Belgian Ales, with a large white head that quickly dissipates with decent but not really pronounced lacing (had more on the second glass).

The smell is an absolutely wonderful floral and citrus smell that mimics some of the best Belgian ales of this type.

The taste is a whirlwind of flavors that hits the palate and lasts a very LONG time after the last sip. It starts with hints of lemon, orange, honey, and ends with a pronounced herbal aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is incredibly smooth with slight carbonation. Mind you this is my first review ever and the term "chewy" is still new to me...but I kind of feel a sensation of wanting to chew on this beer...hard to explain but I imagine this is what they are talking about when using this term.

This is a very drinkable beer. I could drink this everyday during the summer. Even though this is made in NY, I think this beer could easily hold it's ground against some of the best Belgian ales of this style.

Not too shabby. This is a dary cloudy beer with all sorts of crazy flavors. I, like many others am exercising my right as a Georgian to buy beer &gt; 6.0% alcohol this week. Hennepin was one of the first.

This beer definitely has some kick to it, but it rewards with a very mellow, almost banana like aftertaste. Very yummy. Unlike other high alcohol brews, this one goes down smooth. If you can find this gem available in your area, I'd suggest that you try it.

Smell: Big yeast smell right off the bat, kept reminding me of the smell of the Baltimore Brewing Company on brewing day... Followed by banana, grapefruit, and spices.

Taste: Tingly carbonation. The caramel color didnt disappoint when the flavors come rushing in. This baby has thick malty flavors; nice and sweet mix. Some pepper and very faint hops on the back end. This is a very crisp and enjoyable beer. A slight warmth is felt in the mouth after the first swig or two.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: Oooh very so. Hennepin has a very heavy mouthfeel with the malty flavors sticking around for a very long time afterward. Although this isnt a beer that I would pound, or have every day, it is very drinkable and worth many more samples.

Ive always felt that saison beers were more of a late summer/fall beer. That spicy mix is usually for the cooler weather. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that Hennepin worked well in the sun and the warmth. That creamy smoothness is very enjoyable, even when sampled in-between innings.

hennepin pours a cloudy honey color with a huge cloudlike head that is an off white. lacing is heavy. smell is white grapes, ginger and citrus (orange peel?). flavor is complex, dry with a light alcohol note. can taste something fruit-like but can't put my finger on it....i'm new to the style. a terrific beer though can really taste ginger and corriander. spicey. mouthfeel is almost fuzzy with plenty of carbonation. could drink a couple but definatly not a session beer. i ain't no rockafella. $9.00 a bottle but worth it. definatly happy that i bought this brew.

Poured into my ommegang goblet from a 750ml bottle. The beer is a light yellow through light and a pretty light honey orange most of the time. A fluffy white head, 2-fingers or so fluffs up in the glass and drops to a nice 1/8th inch or so coating that lasted the entire beer.

Smell is fantastic--earthy, mud, wet hay, barnyard, leather, honey and fresh herbs. incredibly complex and satisfying. this is one of the rare beers i just want to keep smelling, forget drinking it.

But drink I must, and the taste doesn't lower the bar at all. Sweet bread, honey and a soft fruitiness hit the tongue first, then a mix of herbs and yeasty spicyness punch through, followed by a soft flavor of wet grass and earth. The bitter earthiness follows in the aftertaste combined with a candy sugar sweetness.

The well-carbonated brew comes off creamy, especially because of that soft head. A 750ml goes down so incredibly smooth, I could drink another 750 if I didn't know better. In my opinion this is a beer approaching perfection, and it's amazing to think it's brewed in the US. There's no way to even guess this isn't a traditional Saison from Belgium, and it would rank near the top of any beers in the category, no matter the geography.

Enjoyed immediately after a sample of regular Hennepin for comparisons sake. Comes in a 750ml corked bottle. Has a layer of dirt on the bottle. Bottle #1471, this was cave-aged at Howe Caverns at a depth of 156 feet at constant temperature of 52 degrees Fahrenheit from early 2003 until September 23rd of the same year. Enjoyed 6/21/04. Claims to be the only American brewery that has been cave aging beer in over a century. Cork appears to have mold on the top, a little worrisome
This is one of the most carbonated beers Ive ever had, with tremendous head and unrelenting carbonation. This beer is alive. Incredibly thick, foamy, lacy white head that explodes out of the bottle. Let me stress this point. The head of the beer continues to expand minutes AFTER pouring. Absolutely incredible. I had trouble keeping this beer in its glass! A golden color, less cloudy than the regular beer, but more carbonated.
I wanted to believe that the extra few bucks I spent on a cave aged beer would be worth it. Truth be told, although subtle, there is a difference. Smell is a little more pronounced, though has the same characteristic orange smell. Taste is outstanding. Extremely smooth, with a slight hoppy taste and lots of spice, orange and citrus. Unbelievably smooth for its ABV, this beer distinguishes itself as one of the best Belgian beers in America, and would put up a impressive fight in a Belgium itself. This beer kicks ass, and Im proud to say it.

Dortmunder Gold in color, very clear, big head, great retention and lacing but a bit soap-sudsy with big bubbles. Aroma is very faint and of spicy pickles. Flavor is very polished - fruit esters are banana and cherry with huge carbonation that annoys me. Verrry drrry. Malt is non-existant, could be all sugar for all I can tell. This beer is just fizz on the tongue and then leaves a little flavor there that is esters and spice. Not as much ginger as I remember. Struck me as Unibrouish and triplish, but not worthy of either really. This is a well-made effervescent creation, but fails to inspire me.

I gave Hennepin a very careful pour, unlike my usual, because of the nasty looking stuff in the bottom of the bottle. The beer itself is significantly hazy, bright banana-amber with a handful of fine particulates and a generous amount of carbonation. The very nearly pure white head started out small thanks to the gentle pour, fell quickly to thin film and is leaving very little lace.

The body/mouthfeel is light and well-carbonated and the finish is long with a trace of sweetness. There's also a hint of alcohol that it isn't the least bit intrusive. It does pack a bit of a punch, but then 7.5% on an empty stomach usually does.

Hennepin is my first saison so I really have no idea whether it's a good version of the style or not. For all I know it could be great beer. My suspicion is that this bottle is a little on the old side, so I'll re-review when I get the chance.

Pours a cloudy yellowish with a perfectly white head. Aroma of citrus & spice. All kinds of flavors competing for attention - earthy hops, spice, belgian yeasts, & mildly sour lemon. They all mesh well together in this heavily carbonated brew that finishes with fruity orange, a bit of yeast, & a flavor that reminds me of wheat. Extremely drinkable & an absolute steal for the price.

Chimay-like presentation, in a 750 ml bottle with cork stopper and wire cage. Label lists Hennepin as a Belgian-style ale. Provides some interesting tidbits about Belgium and how to pour properly. Couldn't find a bottling date.

Pours clear, cider-like gold with heavy carbonation. The head is dense and white, breaking down fairly quickly despite the large bubbles moving from the base of the glass to replenish it. Revives readily upon agitation.

Aromas of citrus, hops, and that candi sugar distinctive to the style. Agitation brings out some alcohol and floral notes. Nice and inviting.

Carbonation is evident on the tongue, to the point of scouring the taste buds. The alcohol gives a certain heat to the flavor that takes away from the smoothness of the moutfeel. Hops are in the forefront, middle, and end of every swallow. As the glass warmed I went from large gulps to smaller sips. The harshness of the alcohol gives way in the warming, taking a back seat to an odd but pleasant mix of flavors: lemongrass, sugar, fresh hops and white wine.

Finishes clean, with a lingering smack of wine and hops on the lips. I sampled this on its on but imagine it would be a fine compliment to poultry or fish. Given the ABV food might not be a bad idea, as halfway through the bottle I got quite warm.

An admirable expression of the style. Not a bad substitute for Chimay, particularly when you're light on funds (the Hennepin bottle was a full $3 cheaper than the least expensive Chimay). I'll come back to this one.

Smell: Very strong lemon/lime citrus aroma with sweet, almost butterscotch undertone and notes of honey. Very unusual and quite nice.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Fan-freakin'-tastic. Starts sweet with some herbal/medicinal notes, but quickly cuts to a unique bourbon/overripe fruit/malt sweetness; it tastes a bit like Yukon Jack. Tarts up nicely at the finish with a terrific citrus zing--you'll find yourself looking for the lemon slice floating in the glass. The mouthfeel is tight and crisp, with lively, brisk carbonation--very refreshing.

Drinkability: Exceptional, and amazingly light and crisp for a 7.5% ABV brew. I'd be honored to drink another, and I might just.

Now, THIS is a summer brew. Full, complex, satisfying, yet still wonderfully refreshing. A perfect example of the style, really couldn't be much better.

Presentation: Standard looking 750ml Hennepin bottle, which is deceptive at first and may fool the uninitiated. But on closer inspection, this is no ordinary bottle. The wire cage has a weathered and crimpled looking gray cardboard tab that states that this Hennepin is one of 3360 cellared at Howe Caverns at a depth of 156 feet at a constant temperature of 52°F from early 2003 until September 23rd 2003.

Hand applied Red Ink Stamp professes Bottle # 1315.

The gold colored cage encases a thumbed champagne cork that has an aged black spotted surface (from the Cave Aging?) and it takes a little coaxing to remove. When it is extracted, a solid but manageable thrupp precedes a whispy phantom like expulsion of twisting light gray gunsmoke.

Appearance: Fantastic pour, carefully slaked into my Westie Glass (only the best!) the hazed Golden body shimmered as it slid effortlessly down the hyperbolic sides of my pristinely clean and recently rinsed Westvleteren Glass all the time releasing its dissolved carbon dioxide to form a head that rolled back on itself forming a beery surf. A lovely shimmering straw colored haze sits in the fusel gold body that is disrupted only by constant rising streamers once it quickly settles. The head is perfectly silky and forms an immaculately uniform bone-white creamy cap. Gently rolled like a fine Brandy in the Westie Goblet, the dissolved carbonation comes out to play, but only for a short time, as it is soon called back by its Head-master. This has one of those perfect heads that easily forms with a careful top-up each time. Solid web-like lacing on the Goblets edge. Excellent conditioning, even better head retention, and a fantastic overall presentation in a Goblet style glass. Top Marks here!

Nose: Perceptible from the off, fresh Tripel-like hoppiness mixed with yeasts and freshly proved dough odor that has a little clean farmyard funkiness to it. Light spices and a citrus element together with a smidgeon of Coriander. Mmmmm, smells great, I may have to imbibe this one through my nose!

Taste: Soft, fluffy entrance allows the bitter hoppy feel to expand readily. Pale malts are in the background, light alcohol feel, slightly warming on subsequent mouthfuls. Lemon rind and coriander in the middle, spicy hops with a delicate farmyardiness (yes its a made up word) and some more flavored spicy bitterness in the warming finish which gently caresses the stomach with a smooth frictional like heat after a glass or two. Tangerine rises in the back end with some citric bitterness.

Mouthfeel: This has a well attenuated smoothness from the fine carbonation. Talcum powder soft on the tongue with a light rasping feel when swallowed. Superb presence, this has a very mature Tripel mouthfeel.

Drinkability: The whole 750ml went down quicker than the Titanic! A whole three-quarters of a litre of this 7.5% beauty all to myself  My Bad! Oh Yeah - Sheer Indulgence!

Overall: Very nice!! The precise effects of Cave-Aging are argued over it seems, it could well be the equivalent of modern day Fuzzy Logic. I am no expert on the Aging process, except that I may have to look forward to gray pubes and bad eyesight one day, but this is certainly a beer that definitely appears to benefit from Aging in a Cave (see how diplomatic I am!).

I make no apologies for admitting that I am a big fan of Brouwerij Ommegangs offerings, they still represent probably the best value for money widely available, high quality Belgian style US brews around for me. I am not sure what I did to deserve this beautiful, and rather prized, rare bottle as a gift - but a very BIG heartfelt Thank You indeed to djgonzalez and RokotGirl for sparing this gift from their stash during a recent trip to NYC. It was much appreciated and highly enjoyed. Ill have to get to NYC more often - the first beer in the Blind Tiger is on me next time!!!

I was fortunate to visit the brewery last fall and pick up a few bottles of this beauty. It is a hazy, pale golden with a voluminous creamy head. The aroma is yeasty (bready) and hoppy. It is creamy with citrus and earthy character and a bitter dry finish. Mellow and amazingly refreshing.

Very cloudy lemonady color with a thick, creamy white head. Yeasty particles suspended throughout. Citrus, banana, yeasty bread taste and scents.
Consider this one a very nice belgian with lots of great flavor here. Not overly sweet or carbinated. Enjoyed this one.

Extra kudos to the Hennepin folks for putting out a really cool label with this beer. Informative and interesting, the label gives background on Cooperstown, lists some of the local tourist attractions, and provides some insight to the beer itself. Good job. I had almost as much fun perusing the label as I did drinking the brew.

It's almost summer here in Tejas now, and it's time to break out some of these spring/summer offerings. Hennepin is a saison, light in texture and heavy on the spritz. It broke out of the bottle with gusto, like Craig Biggio getting out of the box in a hurry to beat out that infield single. Very rich and impressive head on the pour, it captivated me right from the start. Not an overwhelming nose. It looked good in the glass, cloudy and inviting with an orange-yellow coloring.

The taste was a little raw, but the flavor held up the bargain. Citrusy and tart, the hops coming out in front. Slightly grassy in the middle, a slight taste of apricots maybe. Much like a typical Jeff Bagwell season, it was very, very good, and it will be appreciated by those in the know. It finished up with a slightly sour aftertaste, but not in a bad way. The carbonation was massive in this sample. Good, good mouthfeel, it felt alive on my tastebuds.

I wanted the big Lance Berkman home run from this one, and it delivered a shot over the wall. It wasn't an upper-deck bomb, but it was respectable and solid. Good job from the Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown. The Baseball Hall of Fame is there, check it out, and check out this fine beer as well.

Not as much carbonation as the fresh version, buts still a constant stream of bubbles. Big fat brilliant white head that leaves a thick coat of lace, but doesn't hold as well as the fresh version. The color seems a bit lighter, more of a golden straw color. Earthy doughy aroma with a bit of mild coriander and light lemon. Nice light fluffy mouthfeel on a lighter bodied beer. I don't know if it's the second glass of Hennepin but I'm noticing the warm stomach effect. A bit more flavor in this one, pale malt (or strong wheat beer) not noticing the spices or lemon, just slightly more bitter. The alcohol is more noticable and the flavor is a bit stronger cutting back on the drinkability. Overall a solid brew, but not as light and fresh as the month old version which I actually prefer in a Saison.

Taste: Very tart with a crisp punch to the tastebuds - a sweet and sour taste of sorts. Also some yeasty breadiness is detected. Slightly medicinal.

Overall: A perfect example of a Belgian Saison - very refreshing and oh so drinkable. I could drink this day-in and day-out and not get sick of it. Thumbs up to Ommegang for this beautiful, beautiful brew.

Appearance: Poured into a tulip, the beer is a dusty golden orange color and a fizzy white head billows up to about an inch. Rocky suds remain as it dies down.

Smell: Mmmm, whew. Yeasty and citrusy, especially lemons.

Taste: Hmm. Different. A very organic earthy taste with the yeast playing a large part. Kind of fruity, apple tasting esters and a honey-like sweetness in the middle. Quite a phenolic bite in the aftertaste. Ewwww. I think about band aids floating in the pool. The phenols are really evident in this.

Mouthfeel: Decent. It has some body to it, but still drinks light and refreshing.

Drinkability: Very nice once you get over the phenols. Refreshing and easy to quaff in warm weather. I had no real problems finishing the bottle. I'm not sure it's as great as its ranking suggests, but a nice brew overall.

----Update----07/04
A fresher bottle has less medicinal taste, brighter pepper and more fermented funk. I'm upping the taste to a 4 from 3.5. And at $4.59 for 750 mL, this and all Ommegang products are a victory for the beer lover on a budget.

750ml bottle #0336. Cave aged at Howe Caverns from early 2003 until September 2003. Drank in April of 2004. This is one of only 3,360 bottle that was cave aged at a constant temperature of 52 degrees Fahrenheit.

OK, so this stuff, like the cave-aged Ommegang and Rare Vos that I had quite some time ago, *is* different than the regular Hennepin. Is it worth $9 for the 750, as opposed to $4-5 for the regular Hennepin? I'd say yes, and here is why...

This brew pours out with a familiar orange tinted gold colour, and a large, rocky head of white foam. This brew was slightly cloudy, yet still very attractive in my chalice. The singature fruity aromas were even more complex, in this sample, and the spicy/herbal hops were definately much more pronounced as well. This brew has a nice bready middle, and an everlasting spicy hop finish. The flavors melded together very well, making for an exceptionally smooth drink, that drained from my glass too quickly. If you like Ommegangs products, you owe it to yourself to try the cave-aged stuff...it's all really quite good.